Paavani Bishnoi on Art, Crafts, Design and everything else that comes to the mind

Brand

In summer days all we want, as we enter the home, is a cool zone. Cool breeze, natural or artificial, flowing in the room and no more sweating or noise pollution. Thanks to present days Air-conditioners, they are energy efficient, make low noise, are slimmer and cool in looks.

This weekend I went to check split AC in the Indian market, and I was not surprised how AC companies are filling their pockets by talking to half-aware, half-confused customers about vitamin filter, dual display and filter with this and that technologies which hardly a customer understand but still pay his hard earned money to get some coolness (pun intended).

So what is selling in India-: If Indian Brands like Godrej has come up with Mirror and Silver finish, then Chinese Company Haier has come up with vitamin filter and AC’s remote with fluorescent buttons. An earnest plea Godrej – please improve the red logo print quality, it looks pathetic on all white AC.

Korean champion Samsung’s Air-conditioners have bio sleeplus feature. In finish, they are offering all silver panels on the front and also wine other than classic white. Nothing great but overall look is cool, due to neat & clean form.

Other Korean company LG, as usual is offering last year old floral patterns apart from latest engraved baroque style floral pattern on gold and white. This gives quite a traditional and rich look. But it is not suitable for most of apartment’s interiors. Their Vogue series offers cool big display for showing current room temperature. Color scheme is white & grey with one more flowers option on same.

Whirlpool has nothing new to offer other than wide silver panel but their energy meter card is good for consumers to understand the star-rating and monthly electricity bill savings.

Best of best is Japan’s company Hitachi, which rules with ‘follow me’ feature that follows your every movement and circulate air accordingly. Slimmer, neat and clean elegant look also set it apart. Off course, for all this, you have to pay higher price too.

There is so much talk about Social Networking as hottest thing in 2007, even a network (Orkut) chosen as MTV youth icon 2007. It’s like making YOUR presence, staying in touch with people either for personal or professional growth.

And there was Time magazine (early 2007) cover page saying ‘Person of the Year is YOU’.
Recently I read an old article ‘Brand you by Tom Peters.
That made me to recall a quote by Isabel Allende “You are the story teller of your own life, and you can create your own legend or not.”

Quite true. Whatever you are doing (or going to do) is reflecting in your personality.
Either the way you dress up or the way you hold the fork. Your very individualistic style to signature to the favorites programmes on T.V. Everything is composing you.
It’s not a simple system. One might feel it’s a single entity, but it’s a whole complex system that is composing the YOU.
And as Mr. Peters the management Guru says, there is no way to escape from the Me Inc. One has to create own brand. Now up to you how you do. So,

How to get BRANDED?

Compile- Strengths, Weakness, Power, External factors, Risks, Time (very important).Just to make you stay focused on goals, how to achieve that.
Compete- Learn & Improve, Keep yourself updated.What you learnt was past. Think future, work in present scenario. And for that updating skills and being informative is a need.
Stay Tuned– Meet others, Talk, Discuss, Argu, Laugh & Enjoy.Express yourself. It not only gives attention but makes you happy too. And getting noticed among in crowd is important if you really thinking of Branding yourself. So either blog or upload a video on youtube but do something to shine.
Balance- Work, Family & Networking.Don’t be you only, be the complete person. Know how to equilibrate everything. Getting the right rhythm to balance everything is making the real you.

Rejuvenate- Mentally and Physically.Pamper yourself either with music, books or join health club. Keeping fit will make you more fresh and full of energy.And come out with new innovative visionary ideas. After all you are the brand. Be Brand new in every stage of life.

There are so many How would you rise and shine in same and similar people.

It has been long time since I blogged about anything. What was it means: nothing new happening or was I so busy that didn’t get time. No, nothing like that. It was just that when there was over information flow, one get lost what to talk.
Silence is golden at times. BTW I was quite active in my Flickr (earlier I was not), I even wrote a guest blog article for Ping Mag (one of the best design blog, from Japan).
In my work place, I am learning many new things. And try to understand much more.Any way, what’s happening in World? Especially in Design sector, that too in India? Always make more sense to Indian Designers.The Digital design experience or people in User interface design would be happy to know about Nokiaâs first satellite design studio in India, Bangalore...will explore a range of design trends and themes, including detailed research into colour and material trends in India. It will also study use of mobiles for Internet in India and its implications for design, and examine innovative new features and uses for mobiles.[Source : Hindu]

I expect, soon I will get a handset for elderly. Last month only I was looking for a mobile for 60+ in not so urbanized area, which has basic functions and easy to navigate interface. Sorry to say I didn’t get a single mobile handset which fit the bill.

Talking about mobile:

I would like to say– few models are so sleek & smooth that it can look good only on an executive hands. While a field worker continuous sweating hand will make it uncomfortable to hold.

So many features- do we really need it? Few don’t even want to send & receive SMS.

Price range versus features. If it is a 2K mobile, is it really helpful in getting what one want? Don’t compromise quality by adding too much.

So many models, with little difference, so much of confusion. From Samsung to Nokia to new Bleu. A sliding cell phone with similar looks.

Total money expenditure- a 3G phone with cool features. But your current service provider gives you all that good service to operate those? If yes, how costly is it? Or you have to change your years old mobile number.

Even if you browse internet on your blackberry and check emails after every 10 min. Is it comfortable or just leave you more frustrated?

Your mobile is more of FM/ Camera to click pictures secretly or more to mobile blog?

Once you are comfortable with your current handset. It got stolen/broke, and you switched to new model of same company. Do you feel ease to operate it? If no, why so much complexity to understand all navigational system of a handset.

Why mobile buttons are so small? Why no models catering to those who donât have such sleek fingers to press the right tab?

Regional language settings are there- but how many really needy use it?

There are many more concerned areas; these are many more simple questions other than styling & color of cell phone.

I am really disappointed when I visited Nokia exclusive showroom and did not get a cellphone which display text/numbers in good contrast on a reasonably good screen size along with basic features that work in a small town. Like FM. I hope, new Nokia design studio work in more user friendly way and come up with designs that really cater to the person who need it for basic functions not a gizmo. As number of mobile users in India are more than other parts. And these maximum numbers of users donât work in corporate offices of a metro.

Potato chips are all time favorite junk food. Earlier there were classic salted. Now more flavors are added. Even by considering the Indian spices and tastes. If MacDonald is making burgers in different choices by adding naram panner and tandoori chicken. Than our plain salted potato chips are also learning.

1st it was Frito Lays which come with flavors like Spanish tomato tango etc. After countries they brought the flavors of Indian chat – like golgappa style chips.
Fritolay – India’s followed by Uncle Chips, Kurkure (quite popular, now going to launch in USA), Lehar Namkeen and Chittos (which were very famous among children as they came up with a new pokemon character gift with every pack). BTW Frito lays is owned by Pepsi Co so definitely in terms of marketing and advertising they would not leave behind. Either its brand ambassadors like Cool Saif Ali Khan and Pretty Preity Zinta. And there latest launched is wafer style chips. In India, potato chips are made at home by cutting potato slices and keeping in salted water and then drying in sun for few days and when want to eat fry them. There are many more version and methods to make chips in Indian kitchen by Indian Grandmothers.

Now come to the latest ad of Bingo- if you have seen the advertisement either on Television or heard on FM (and yes, not to leg behind on web world too they launched website). You might not understand what this ‘Mad angle’ is. Yes, there ads are ‘no confusion, great combination’. After SunFeast biscuits and pasta, the company is now venturing into the Rs 2,000-crore fast-moving branded snack market.They say: “Chips come in experimental flavours such as bindas masti chaas, chatkila nimbu achar and tandoori paneer tikka. Yet another product launched is “Mad Angles”, which according to the company, is inspired by the Gujarati snack khakra and comes in tomato and chilli flavours.”

Even Parle (a very old name specially for Parle G biscuits) is now bringing different flavors of cheese with a new brand name Musst bytes which have flavors- Tangy Tomato Or Garden spices.Let’s see in battle of crispy, spicy chips who won. I heard a mixed review about Bingo, where Paneer tikka is not at all advisable to taste. But people are trying different flavors for different type of ads, names and punch lines like ‘aajkal yeh bahut chal raha hain’ (for Parle Musst bytes) which means roughly – Now days very much in demand.